Happy Anniversary

These photos make me incredibly happy! Their love for one another that was so apparent during the time I had with them. So thankful I got the chance to get these 1 year anniversary photos!

End It

Ministries for Trafficking:

http://worldrelief.org/Page.aspx?pid=3064

http://exoduscry.com/

http://stoptraffickfashion.com

http://daughtershouse.wordpress.com/resources/

http://magdalenestl.org/

http://www.gems-girls.org/get-involved http://www.gems-girls.org/about/research-resources

http://www.somaly.org/

http://www.love146.org/

http://www.thea21campaign.org/

http://3strandsglobal.com/index.cfm?pID=3331

http://www.worldvision.org/our-impact/child-protection

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/

http://run2rescue.com/faq.html

http://www.hagarusa.org/

Love Alone is Worth the Fight

Ways to Fight Trafficking (adapted from various sources including: http://projectrescue.com/5-ways-you-can-fight-sexual-slavery/)

Learn

-Read articles about trafficking occurring in Missouri, the US, and overseas
-Read book on trafficking. I personally can recommend these books: Half the Sky:Turning Opression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. "Girls Like Us" by Rachel Lloyd. "Passport through Darkness" By Kimberly L Smith. Terrify No More by Gary Haugen.

-Watch a documentary on trafficking. 

-Read in the Bible what God has to say about justice and the oppressed

Pray

-Set aside time to pray for those in slavery

-Organize a prayer group

Give

-Support and/or fund-raise for a ministry that fights trafficking through prevention, rescue, and after-care. 

-Host a fund-raise party where people can buy products that vulnerable women make to help prevent trafficking

-Sponsor a child who is vulnerable to being trafficked

Serve/Educate

-Tell your friends, family, church, etc. about what you have learned about trafficking

-Host a documentary night or a book study 

-Get involved with organizations that fight trafficking

-Learn how to identify victims of sexual slavery and trafficking from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Rescue & Restore Campaign.

-Lobby Politicians

Not for Sale

The Problem( source: http://courageworldwide.org/the-problem/)

"Police and government agencies report they have seen the phenomenon of child sex trafficking increase tenfold over the last two years, and the abuse is still on the rise. The internet is being used as a tool to sell children for sex. There are countless ads that offer “erotic services” with juveniles photographed in the ads. This problem is wide-spread and the ease of use and secrecy of the internet furthers the hidden nature of this crime. Police report that vicious pimp circuits and organized crime rings exist that force children and teenagers into sexual exploitation. Police are successfully uncovering and prosecuting the perpetrators of this crime. The greatest factor in promoting child sex trafficking and child sexual exploitation is the demand for younger and younger victims. Most women in prostitution are trafficked into the sex industry as children. Worldwide, the average age of entrance into prostitution is 13.” 

"Children exploited through prostitution report they typically are given a quota by their trafficker/pimp of 10 to 15 buyers per night…Utilizing a conservative estimate, a domestic minor sex trafficking victim …would be raped by 6,000 buyers during the course of her victimization through prostitution."

For more information on human and sex trafficking click on this link:  http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/human-trafficking/

Love Always Protects

LOVE146: Prevention Education

"To prevent the exploitation of children, we must reach them before sex traffickers do. The best people to prevent the trafficking of children are children themselves. That’s why we make it a priority to speak directly with teens, making them aware of the tactics of pimps & traffickers, the signs of exploitation, and the services available to them should they find themselves in at-risk or exploitative situations. Once ensnared, victims of child trafficking are controlled by threats, violence, and sometimes drugs, making the pathway to freedom extremely difficult. Prevention Education acts as a vaccine to this social ill." (http://love146.org/prevention-education/)

1 Corinthians 13:7 "[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Another tangible way to prevent trafficking is by sponsoring a child that is at risk of being trafficking through organizations like Compassion International, World Vision, and Mission to the World.

We Are Called to Speak

Proverbs 31:8-9

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, 

 for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; 

 defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Who is at risk of becoming a victim of human sex trafficking? 

Since trafficking victims can be rich or poor, men or women, adults or children, and foreign nationals or U.S. citizens, everyone is at risk for being trafficked. However, traffickers typically prey on individuals who are vulnerable in some way because they are easier to recruit and control. Some examples of high risk populations include undocumented migrants, runaways and at-risk youth, and oppressed or marginalized groups. (http://www.bridgetsdream.org/faq-s.html) 

For more information read here: http://love146.org/slavery/

Running for Freedom

Update: Half-way to my goal of $325, but would love to see my goal exceeded! Thanks for your participation! 

Tread on Trafficking

As I made the decision to run the MO' Cowbell Half Marathon, I decided to also support an organization, Love146, that supports a cause I strongly believe in: ending child trafficking and exploitation. I will have regular updates on this blog and on this website Running for Freedom. If 25 people give $13 to match the 13 miles I will be running, I will achieve my goal of $325. Follow along and consider supporting these efforts to fight trafficking!

Summer Family Photo Session

What a fun session! These boys were constantly making me laugh with their imagination and personality. Here are the little mayors :)

Such a sweet family!

Good-bye 90's Phone

My husband thinks I hate technology, but I really don't. In fact I consider myself fairly tech-savvy, although my 90's slide, non-smart phone may give you that impression. Yet the only reason why I really "hate" technology is because of how I find myself misusing it and the outcomes of that misuse.

Some of the reasons why I (personally) dislike technology and have held off on getting a smart phone for so long (and by technology my husband mostly means smart phones and computers):
-It's a super easy way to waste hours of my day...I jump on the computer and all of a sudden 10 minutes turns into 1 hour.
-It keeps me from actually being active and doing things. I can "pin" ideas all day long, but what's the point if I never will actually bake or create the things I want to do or travel to the places I want to see.
-I can make it a substitute to having personal interactions with live people. Instead of catching up on the phone or via skype I find myself reading their blog or their fb page, but feeling like I've missed out on something important that comes with a live conversation.
-It keeps me from fully engaging with people... for instance, if I'm grabbing coffee with a friend and I'm checking in on my phone to text another friend or checking my facebook or instagram real quick, then it gives the impression to my friend that they don't deserve my full attention or are not as important or as interesting as what is happening on facebook.
-I start to believe that my friends are having a better time than I am and I begin to covet and be envious of their travels, adventures, happiness, home, clothes, food, drinks, friendships, etc.
-Facebook and Instagram ( and this blog) become places where I begin look for affirmation. Because I only want to post things that will get 100 likes or loves and a ton of comments so whether or not it's a real picture of what my life looks like or how I'm feeling most of the time, at least I look like I've got it all together.
-When I begin spending more and more time on websites like Pinterest, I begin to want and to buy into the lies of materialism--that I'd be more happy if my home looked like the ones in the photos or if I dressed a little more trendy.

I know there is good in technology- it reflects God's creativity because he gave humans the ability to make these intricate machines. When I don't distort the good things about technology, I am able to enjoy so much about it, so I write this as a reminder to myself to examine my heart and to be careful of how I use technology. I need to keep my mind engaged so I can discern what is good and what might be harmful.

All of that to say... I am getting a smart phone. Finally. So good-bye 90's phone. It's been nice. I'm excited to be able to (hopefully!) communicate better with my friends, since about 99% are ahead of me with the times. I also might be able to take better selfies (jk), but really, I'm looking forward to the camera aspect of it... and not getting lost as much. And the husband will be glad that I no longer will have to steal his phone to do all of the above. I guess if none of the above changes, I could always trade my smart phone back in for the 90's one... if they still exist at that point.

Senior 2014